Earth Knocked Out of Orbit? A Chilling Possibility
A planet does not need to crash into Earth to cause damage. A close encounter could push Earth into a new orbit. If we move closer to the Sun, we would overheat. If we drift farther away, we would freeze. A new path around the Sun could mean unpredictable seasons or even no seasons at all.
In the worst case, Earth could be ejected from the Solar System altogether. We would become a rogue planet ourselves, drifting through deep space without sunlight. That would be the end of life as we know it.
